Pope sorry for offending MuslimsPope Benedict XVI has apologised in person for causing offence to Muslims in a speech in Bavaria last week.

He said the medieval text which he quoted did not express in any way his personal opinion, adding the speech was an invitation to respectful dialogue.

The Pope has been under intense scrutiny amid angry reactions from throughout the Muslim world.

The 14th Century Christian emperor's quote said the Prophet Muhammad brought the world only evil and inhuman things.

The BBC's Christian Fraser in Rome says many critics will say Sunday's comments should have been attached to his speech in Regensburg, which may well have avoided the controversy that followed.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood described the Pope's remarks as a "sufficient apology".

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said the Pope's visit to Turkey was still expected to go ahead in November.

'Mutual respect'

The Pope appeared on the balcony at his residence at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome for the Angelus blessing on Sunday.

"I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims," he told pilgrims.

"These in fact were a quotation from a medieval text, which do not in any way express my personal thought.

"I hope this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with mutual respect."

Hours before the Pope spoke, two churches in the West Bank were attacked with firebombs in what was believed to be a reaction to the Bavaria speech.

And in the Somali capital Mogadishu, an Italian nun was shot dead by gunmen. The shooting may have been connected to strong criticism of the speech by a radical Somali cleric.

Protests

There was tightened security around the Vatican for the Pope's blessing.

Marksmen kept watch on the square from a city hall while officers, dressed like tourists, filmed the crowd with video cameras.

Police confiscated umbrellas and bottles of liquid.

Our correspondent says the crisis could not have come at a worse time for the Pope.

Aside from his Turkish visit, he has also recently appointed two new men to the jobs of secretary of state and head of diplomacy at the Vatican.

In his speech at Regensburg University on Tuesday, the German-born Pope quoted Emperor Manuel II Paleologos of the Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire.

Stressing that they were not his own words, he quoted the emperor saying: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

He also said violence was "incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul".

Reactions to the speech came from such leaders as Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who said efforts to link Islam and terrorism should be clearly opposed.

Street protests were held in Pakistan, India, Turkey and Gaza.

So many things I could say, so many things I want to say. But the best irony ever:

- Pope gives speach about open dialogue, a bunch of Muslims go nuts, accuse papacy of racism.
- Pope warns against religion without logic, protestors act like idiots.
- Pope says that noone should die because of their religion, people die because of their religion.

If I was the Pope I'd give a public address where I read that speach in about 15 different languages until everyone got just what the fuck I was trying to say._________________bi-chromaticism is the extraordinary belief that there exists only two options
each polar opposite to each other
where one is completely superior to the other.

We seem to be establishing a pattern wherein someone in the West will do or say something concerning Islam that is perhaps objectionable but certainly allowable in a free and liberal society and the Muslim world will react with screaming, diplomatic sanctions, violence, and threats of violence until the offensive Western party retracts its statement and bows and scrapes to appease the madmen.

One wonders how long this state of affairs can persist._________________"Whatever afflicts thee, their asses I shall kick"

We seem to be establishing a pattern wherein someone in the West will do or say something concerning Islam that is perhaps objectionable but certainly allowable in a free and liberal society and the Muslim world will react with screaming, diplomatic sanctions, violence, and threats of violence until the offensive Western party retracts its statement and bows and scrapes to appease the madmen.

One wonders how long this state of affairs can persist.

Heyhey, after all the trouble I went through to get those links supporting my assertions you're going to leave out "Jewbashing and calling for the destruction of Israel?"

Okay, so Benedict apologizes for his choice of quotation. Everyone's happy, right? We can all start hating the Jews again, right? (there WoC, that one was just for you )

WRONG!

Quote:

Influential Qatari Muslim scholar, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, called for a day of anger on Friday, saying the Pope had not apologised.

Yes, because God wants you to be a bunch of angry, close-minded idiots.

Quote:

Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas, which controls the Palestinian parliament, said: "We do not view the statement attributed to the Pope as an apology."

Alright, what constitutes an apology? In all honesty, they might have been replying to the statement made by the Pope's secretary, but still.

Quote:

In the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, a spokesman for the Islamist group, Hizbut Tahrir, told a rally that the Pope's statements had been fuelled by an extreme hatred of Islam, and his expressions of regret were insincere.

Yes, because there are so many examples of Benedict hating on the muslims, pre and post papacy. Another close-minded, shit disturber. Telling your followers that the leader of another major religion hates yours is a good way to frenzy up the base, but fuck, that's disingenous, and if it isn't, you, Mr. Tahrir, are retarded.

And finally, a voice of reason.

Quote:

At the UN in New York, the president of the General Assembly, Haya Rashed al Khalifa, the first Muslim woman to head the global assembly, called on religious leaders to promote reconciliation.

She made no specific reference to the Pope's remarks but said religious forces could advance dialogue, reconciliation and peace and help people embrace difference.

Is it racist of me to wish that the general run of religious fundamentalist could at least be a quarter as sane as this woman? All quotes from the BBC.

Does it count that I'm an atheist, who disagrees with catholicisms' official stance on abortion, contraception, the immaculate conception (or any 'miracle'), forced celibacy on the priesthood, no female priests, and, you know, the existence of God, would defend what this man said? Does he get any points for that?_________________bi-chromaticism is the extraordinary belief that there exists only two options
each polar opposite to each other
where one is completely superior to the other.